Cy pres article. "What would you do with a million dollars? How to seek cy pres awards," an article by Bob Glaves, Chicago Bar Foundation, from ABA Bar Leader magazine.

Maryland Judiciary report and recommendations. The Maryland Judiciary Working Group on Self-Representation has issued a report and recommendations for making the courts more accessible to self-represented litigants. Recommendations include: development of web-based document assembly for court forms; development of a clear policy for court staff distinguishing between legal advice and information; modification of judicial ethics provisions to clarify those types of interaction with the self-represented that are permissible and suggested for judges in the courtroom; development of a Judicare-type system to supplement existing legal services providers; appointment of a Bench-Bar committee to explore ways to support limited scope representation; and creation of an Access to Justice Commission.

Maine long-term planning report. Maine's Justice Action Group has issued a report setting out the recommendations resulting from its broad-based long-term planning process. Priority strategies are: an increased state appropriation for legal aid; implementation of mandatory IOLTA with interest rate comparability (adopted September 2007); creation of a Division of Self-Represented Litigant Services within the Judicial branch, overseeing a Courthouse Assistance Program; creation of a Legal Aid Technology Resources Center; and study of a civil right to counsel in adversarial proceedings where basic human needs are at stake. The report also identifies ten strategies that require little or no new funding.

Mississippi Pro Bono Publicus rule. The Mississippi Supreme Court has amended its rules to create a new Pro Bono Publicus status, allowing pro bono practice by otherwise inactive Mississippi attorneys and attorneys licensed in other states, including law school clinicians.

IOLTA revenue enhancement. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed legislation authorizing a rule change to require banks to offer comparable rates. The Alabama Supreme Court has amended its rules to require mandatory IOLTA. (Alabama already has a comparability provision in place.)

Colorado Access to Justice hearings. The Colorado Access to Justice Commission, in conjunction with local Access to Justice Committees, has launched a series of hearings around the state aimed at gathering information about the civil legal needs of low-income people and identifying gaps in services. Information from the hearings will be compiled into a report submitted to the Colorado Supreme Court, Governor, and Legislature.

North Carolina Summit. Chief Justice Sarah Parker presided at the North Carolina Summit on Access to Civil Justice on October 12. The Summit was jointly sponsored by the Equal Access to Justice Commission, chaired by the Chief Justice, and the North Carolina Bar Association, under the leadership of President Janet Ward Black, who has made support for legal aid the hallmark of her presidency. Participants in the Summit included six members of the Supreme Court, other judges, bar leaders, legislators, legal aid providers, and other stakeholders. College of William & Mary President Gene Nichol was the keynote speaker. After presentations and discussions on legal needs, participants broke up into discussion groups to provide input to the Commission to guide its efforts.

Massachusetts report and recommendations. The Massachusetts Access to Justice Commission, chaired by former Chief Justice Herbert Wilkins, has issued its report to the Supreme Judicial Court on "Barriers to Access to Justice in Massachusetts," based on a series of hearings held by the Commission around the state. Recommendations include the following: the Legislature and Supreme Judicial Court should take steps to have counsel available to low-income people in critical circumstances, such as court hearings in eviction cases; trained non-lawyers should be permitted to appear in court in such cases as evictions and domestic violence hearings; courthouse assistance should be provided in all family and probate courts and courts hearing eviction cases; uniform, user-friendly statewide forms should be developed and made available on the internet; a position of coordinator of Access to Justice activities in the trial courts should be created; and the jurisdiction of Housing Court should be extended state-wide and its best practices should be duplicated in all courts hearing evictions.

South Carolina Access to Justice Commission. Chief Justice Jean Hoefer Toal, Chair of the South Carolina Access to Justice Commission, presided at its first meeting on September 27. Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Jess Dickinson was guest speaker.

Mississippi pro bono practice manual. Thirteen large Mississippi law firms, in conjunction with state legal services programs, have produced a manual for pro bono attorneys covering the major case types.